NEWS FLASH

Nevada Governor Seeks Dismissal Of Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit | Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) is seeking the dismissal of a suit by eight same-sex couples challenging the state’s constitutional ban on their right to marry, because he claims the federal government does not have jurisdiction over state rules for marriage. This argument isn’t particularly convincing, however, because there isn’t a venue to challenge a state constitutional amendment except at the federal level. A state Supreme Court could not realistically deem part of its own constitution invalid, because anything written in the constitution is, by definition, constitutional. The suit, brought by Lambda Legal, alleges that Nevada’s ban violates the equal treatment guaranteed to citizens by the U.S. Constitution, and only a federal court could address that question.